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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — a position
  6. content — happy
  7. ground — crushed
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — the earth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — the amount
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com